One Piece: The Puzzle of the Twelve Signs
by denglongfist
Summary: Before the Davy Back Fight, Luffy and his crew are engaged in an adventure of terrible dangers and catastrophic proportions. With the Marines on their tail and a great treasure awaiting, The Straw Hats have an adventure they can't pass by.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece, or the Zodiac, or any of the marvelous things inside the great universe created by Eiichiro Oda. I do own my own characters, which will appear later on the story. The only thing I was close to own about One Piece was a Straw Hat I bought like fifteen years ago. Enjoy.

**One Piece: The Puzzle of the Twelve Signs**

There was one a Pirate named Gold Roger who was the king of the pirates.

Before they hung him from the gallows, these are the last words he said.

"My fortune is yours for the taking, but you have to find it first."

"I left everything I owned in One Piece."

From that day, Pirates form all over the world had set sail to the Grand Line to find One Piece, the treasure that can make their dreams come true.

**Chapter 1**

**A Very Boring Day**

The afternoon was finally coming to an end. It had been a long day and the new hours of nightly rest were approaching while the crew gathered together for a short snack. Perhaps it was not.

Monkey D. Luffy was sitting on his favorite spot all over the Merry Go, the Bow. His face seemed at some degree frustrated, especially the frown and the look in his eyes, look that gave an idea of what he was pondering. It has been weeks since their last adventure, and they were not gaining ground on their journey to the end of the world. He sat there all afternoon, looking for a new way to find adventure. Of course, it was not part of his repertoire to find adventure, but rather to get into trouble. He considered both one and the same. This feeling was not shared by his subordinates.

The rest of the crew was developing their normal routine until that point of the day. Nami had been tracing maps, as usual, while showering her tangerine of oranges that reminded her of her adoptive mother Belle Mere. Sanji was trying to find some ways to preserve food until they could dock in safe port, Chopper were telling ghost stories and Zolo could be found doing push ups at the deck. Only Robin was doing something different, writing something in a little notebook she kept for a little while. All of them were amazed to see Luffy's latest behavior of complete boredom and it was not common for them to find their captain a little frustrated, in fact, to see him frustrated at all.

"What's wrong with Luffy?" Nami asked puzzled to the rest of the crewmembers. "He has been sitting there all afternoon" was all she could add to the question.

"I heard he lost the will to live." Usopp replied instantly.

"Where did you get that from? It seems a little out of place." Again it was Nami, voicing her concern. Usopp did not seem to care at the moment.

"Well, he haven't spoke a word the whole day, besides, he is never upset, what else could it be?"

Nami just looked at poor Usopp. It was true he always had a characteristic of lying a little bit out of the ordinary. She decided to stay quiet. 'Whatever' was her only thought.

"Look, what really matters is that Luffy has been there all day, with no signs to get out of his trance." was the response from the first mate, Roronoa Zolo. "Why don't you let it stay like that till he wants?"

Zolo's words seemed to bring some common sense to the matter. All crewmembers were acquainted with their captain very well. From Zolo, the first one to accept Luffy's invitation, down to Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper, knew that this was out of the ordinary. Neither of them could remember the last time Luffy entered a state so depressive. And they were, even if they did not know, in total harmony with their captain at all times.

As for Luffy, he could not remember the last time he felt so depressed. Well, he may remember. It was when he was seven, and he was about to be eaten by a giant sea serpent. Just when he thought his miserable life was over, Captain Red-haired Shanks, his premature role model came to his rescue. The captain has called him his friend, and risked his life, loosing his left arm to save the weak gum gum recipient. Luffy at the end, inherited what it would become his most treasured possession, his straw hat. Of course, after years of intense motivation, he was able to push back those memories, and eventually came with a stronger resolution to support his goal: to become the King of the Pirates.

"Have you ever considered that he may be bored?" it was the voice of the last, but not least, member of the Merry Go crew, the archeologist Nico Robin.

"Thinking about it, you may be right, we haven't done something productive for weeks." was again the first mates' response.

"Just let him be, I can't recall a time when I have seem the Captain bored, so it may be the first time." Robin's wisest words dig in the entire crew. She was right, or so she seemed. She was most of the time right. She was the oldest member of the crew, and the most rational as well. It was true that Nami was excellent interpreting facts, Sanji was an expert cooker, and Chopper was a medical prodigy, but Robin contributed with her experience, and her dry humor. Luffy, Zolo and Usopp were just there to fill up the crew.

Robin was sitting almost on the other side of the deck, taking notes on the small notebook she had acquired on their last visit to a civilized town, about three weeks ago. She now included in her routine to sit on the deck, close to Nami's orange trees and start writing recollections, memories and information she had gather for the last 20 years. Her last statement about the captain's state of mind brought a much needed tranquility to the entire crew whatsoever.

"Well, you're right. I don't remember Luffy being bored. So…what do we do?" were Nami's words again, this time showing a little concern. She had tried to get Luffy killed to save her neck, and even escaped with the ship and treasure once, but she had grown fond not only of the captain and the love cook, but the entire crew as well, and she considered them as family, besides her sister Nojiko. It was a delicate subject for her to see Luffy so depressed and not being able to make a profit out of it.

"We leave them like that… I guess, seriously, he doesn't seem to be standing up there any moment now, and I'm starting to feel sick just seeing him there." Zolo said emphatically.

"Well, if you think about, I'll shoot myself if I were him, I mean, look at him, he has been sitting there for the hole day just watching the ocean, and besides that, he hasn't make a sound, so I, as cooker of this ship, propose to eat Chopper as our food supply is going down speedily."

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" came the reindeer doctor's scream. He was used to be called the little emergency food supply from Sanji, but he was not expecting to hear those words in the middle of that Straw Hat crisis. Suddenly Sanji felt as it the whole world just crash on him, the lights in his head going off. He fell to the ground and hit the deck hard. It was Nico Robin's notebook that had hit him hard.

"I can't understand why you men won't grow up, it's disgusting." were her comments, as she dusted off her notebook and went to take a seat in the previous spot she was before she stood up to hit Sanji.

"Ahhhh. My head, it won't work anymore."

"There are worst things than that Sanji, just get used to it." Zolo's words did not seem to bring new confidence to the apparent low self-esteem Sanji after regaining his senses. He felt like he was going to be sick, but the worst of it was the spinning sensation he was feeling from just moments ago.

"But it surely hurts."

Zolo turned his head to see his captain standing on the wooden ship. Though it could not see him, he was pretty sure that he could not hear them as well, so, as first mate, he decided to give a positive approach to the situation.

"Ok, we can leave him there until he comes to his senses, or we can just wake him up from his trance."

"We have no provisions left, and there is a town about an hour from here." were Sanji's words.

"Yes, that is why you, as volunteer, will go and hit the captain in the head."

Sanji was shocked to hear that, he and his big mouth was his thinking. "Why don't Robin go and hit him, she seems to be in the right mood for that?" Sanji turned slightly to see Robin, who gave him the most menacing look she had in storage. Sanji just swallowed hard and turned. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Excellent." Zolo said very enthusiastic. "Now, Usopp and Chopper go and take out the sails, we are entering town to get provisions."

"And what are you doing, acting captain Zolo?" said Nami threatening him with a mean look and sarcastic expression.

"I will just go and enjoy the sea." were Zolo's words as he walked away to take a short nap.

"He doesn't have remedy." Nami said stunned to Robin, hoping she could listen to what she was saying.

"Tell me about it."

Nami just produced a big grin, and then decided to check the weather, one of her responsibilities as the navigator.

'Light storms for tonight, hope we make it into town before that.' She thought, hoping she was wrong about her weather predictions. From her point of view, she was most likely to be right, and that bothered her greatly.

"Hope I'm not right."

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"Wow Sanji, that really hurts." Luffy said scratching his head. It had not been long since Sanji, the ship's cook, kicked a meditating Luffy in the head. Minutes later, the captain kept complaining at the rudeness of his subordinate.

"I don't care; it was the only way to wake you up from your trance?" Sanji replied bringing a roasted chicken to the table were everybody were sitting at. It was dinner time, a storm was approaching and they still haven't made it to town, so they were just enjoying each one's company eating superb.

"Well, you don't have to be so rude when waking me up." Was Luffy's reply, obviously not happy at.

"They look like little children." Nami said to Robin, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table. "I don't think there can be any worst day than this." She sighed. "I'm so bored."

"Maybe you understand the mutual feeling of the crew." Robin said surprisingly very calm. She was holding still the notebook she so passionately wrote in every day. So far, she hasn't discussed the matter of her little companion with anybody in the crew. One time Usopp asked her why she was so desperately filling a dumb notebook with useless info, to which Robin replied she was trying to recollect her memories. To bad that Chopper was peaking on it one time that Robin took a short nap. Chopper had discussed the matter with Usopp, whom discussed it with Nami, in hopes the female navigator would talk to Robin about. The only time she was able to ask Robin was one night on the girl's quarters. Nami has asked what was interesting about writing a journal, because she though Robin was doing just that. Robin replied she had never wrote a journal, but rather found that she liked to write her research, and that she was filling the necessity to write something she could remember from her long years of research.

When Nami came to Chopper and Usopp about her little conversation with Robin, Chopper confirmed that the notes he was able to see were about some Zolunite Runes, but he was in such a hurry he did not have the chance to inquire more about it.

"You lousy cook." Luffy said irritated.

"You rubber freak." was Sanji's reply.

"Alright people, calm down." Zolo said, interposing between the two. "I think it's time we have a crew council."

"But we never had a crew council before." Usopp said a little worried.

"Yeah, what's that?" Luffy said changing his expression to one of intense curiosity.

"Well, a Crew Council is designed to create a plan of action to a situation in which, like in this case, we don't have a clue what to do." Came again Zolo with his proposal. The crew was speechless, all with confusing faces and puzzled looks.

"Look, you have a better suggestion?"

"I like this idea of crew council, its cool." Luffy said now becoming exited with this new dumb idea.

"Yes, I don't think they know I don't have a clue about crew councils but I'm brilliant." Zolo said to himself out loud. He was starting to like this new idea of council but he was surprised with the brilliant plan he conceived.

"Well, where do we start?" Luffy said now even more exited.

"I…" Zolo started to respond, not sure on how he would. The crew laid dead eyes on him, all waiting for Zolo's new course of action.

"…I don't know." Zolo said in defeat.

"Ah, doesn't matter, I think first we must get some provisions if we are going to sail to the end of the world." Usopp started what we will now call 'The Crew Council' with a very cheerful spirit that they would resolve their current situation and hoping Luffy and Sanji would not threaten each one again. "I think we are on our last chicken."

"Yes and our last bottle of the best champagne Adelaide in the world." Sanji said passionately. "Oh, just thinking about the menu makes me feel cheerful of our situation." Again Sanji showed one of his only talent, talk about love; his others were of course to cook and to kick someone in the head; Luffy was a victim of that. But lately he was developing a great talent for survival. With the crew speechless, he continued.

"Or we can just eat the reindeer for breakfast tomorrow morning, I happened to have a recipe about it…"

"Be quiet Sanji, nobody wants to eat Chopper." Nami said.

"Yes, nobody wants to eat me." Chopper said with confidence that the crew would support him, and not eat him for breakfast.

"I think that our priority is to evade this storm, it's starting to get cool and we are not yet into port…besides, I'm bored, I want to find a treasure and clobber some bad guys." Luffy said sighing, and he really meant it. Of all the crew members, he was the one who felt responsible for the adventure. He also felt responsible for the fun, and being in that situation, he was not happy, as well as the crew.

"How far we are from port Nami?" Zolo asked Nami very seriously, supporting his body from the table with his two hands, close to a map that was placed before by him.

"I cannot tell for sure, probably half hour, forty minutes, I'm not sure." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and removed her bandana from her head. "Maybe more time."

"We are doomed." Usopp exclaimed with fear. "We are going to die in the middle of the ocean, and I could never be brave, No!"

"Shut up Usopp, we don't need your cowardice in a moment like this." Zolo said hitting Usopp in the back of the head furiously. Usopp always became stressed in moments of uncertainty, and the crew was surprised it hasn't come before.

"What we know is that if we get to town, we can get a good rest and also get provisions, and maybe find some things to keep us busy while we are there." Robin said calmly, as she was just suggesting what it was the apparent course of action. Robin always seemed to be right when hard decisions came, and this also happened to be the case.

"But what if there is a ghost town with ghouls and mutants and mermans and vampires and ghost pirates." Usopp exclaimed impatient and frightened.

"There are no such things as ghost pirates Usopp!" Sanji said furious.

"Yes, if there were ghost pirates, wouldn't you think we already would have encountered some?" Zolo came again to reason "But please, I don't think the matter is as complicated as it seems, we need to find shelter for the night. Didn't you mention Nami that a storm was coming?"

Nami looked at the first mate, recollecting her thoughts. "There is a storm, I'm surprised it has not caught us yet, but if we are going to port, we better do it now?"

After Nami said this, all eyes in the crew fell on their weird and clumsy Captain. Luffy felt a little uneasy, but came back to his senses when he felt his stomach growl.

"I'm hungry already!" he exclaimed I desperation.

"Then to port it is, Nami, set us on course." Zolo said enthusiastically.

"Zolo, why do I have to always set on course?" Nami asked.

"Well, it is very complicated for me or Luffy to find a sense of direction"

"Gotcha"

"Let's go to Town!" were Luffy's last words.

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Night finally arrived, and with the darker firmament also came the time to go to bed. One by one, each member of the Straw Hat crew retired to bed. It was a lovely night, accompanied with a humid smell and sweet winds hitting the sails and tides carrying the ship from side to side. They had just missed the storm, but where not yet close to port. Nights like these were common among the crew; Chopper enjoyed the breeze and liked a lot to contemplate the stars in the firmament. Sanji just enjoyed the romantic atmosphere that the lights in the heavens created, Zolo usually was sentimental and Usopp told stories to the other companions.

After a long day, with close to nothing to do, the deck was deserted. Nobody was to be seen, except for Nami.

Nami was sitting at the top of the observatory, a sketchbook on her lap and two or three markers and pencils. Nami took very seriously her role as navigator. It was her dream to produce a map of the world detailed and concise, and been sailing with Luffy and the others gave her the chance to do so. Her motivation to join was not because of this at first, rather it was her desire to raise enough gold that got her inside. Nobody knew her real intentions, and when these finally came out, the rest of the crew were immerse in disaster.

"How could they forgive me?" she pondered in the cold, still night.

After coming to terms with the crew, with Luffy with a price on his head, Zolo deeply wounded, Usopp scared to death and Sanji short of breath, she decided to put her trust on them. With the addition of Tony Tony Chopper and Nico Robin she had finally found the family she missed for so long.

"I guess you won't find anyone like them."

Nami took her sketchbook and started drawing what she could see so clearly. No lamp was necessary, because the sky was so illuminated she could distinguish perfectly the stars, constellation and bodies of light. She drew some stars she found very attractive and interesting. Belle Mere had taught her to find her way with the stars. "Always follow the stars, find one that you like and if you know enough about them, you will find your way home." Was what she said. "Lights will guide you home Nami, never forget that."

"Lights will guide you home." was a whisper from Nami's lips. "Sure they will." She said with a sarcastic tone.

The truth for her was very different of what she had expected. She was enjoying her time with the Straw Hats, she had known amazing places and was able to map them, creating a very accurate, according to her thinking (and most of the crew) of the world. She was able to know the Red line and had been in many locations of the Grand Line. She still fell depressed sometimes at nights, so she went out and looked at the sky, to remember her past and her goal in life.

Then she found them. Between Gemini, Leo, Hydra, Linx and Canis Manor it was, the stars she had picked to guide her way home. The constellation of Cancer was located there. She had picked Cancer because she was Cancer. She had been born probably on July 3rd, but she was not sure, still, she picked them because it was the only one she really liked.

She drew with passion the five stars and connected cancer with a set of lines. She had done this many times in the past, but today she felt the need to do it that night. She could remember one night after a light storm that they were cleaning up the mess left by the winds and tides that Chopper told her about the seagoat, or Capricorn. Nami was very excited to know that someone else knew about the zodiac and constellations.

"How do you know Chopper?" she had asked innocently.

"Doctor Hiriluk showed it to me, he said that the stars could guide me when I felt lost." Chopper replied with excitement, but sentimentalism at the same time. It was not easy for him to remember his adoptive father. "He said lights would guide me home anytime."

The last words shocked Nami, she remembered as if Belle Mere would have said those same words that occasion. For the next several nights, Chopper and Nami spend hours talking about the heavens, stars, constellations satellites and other brilliant phenomenon in the universe. Nami enjoyed a lot her talks and wondered if one day Chopper would share some more of his knowledge with her.

"There you are buddy, never changing your location." She said to herself as if she was talking with Cancer.

Suddenly she felt steps coming up the ladder. She saw with a lot of surprise to see who was coming up her way.

"Luffy?" Nami exclaimed, totally surprised.

"Nami, what are you doing here so late at night?" Luffy responded with even greater amazement.

"What are you doing here so late at night Luffy?" Nami became the interrogator, using Luffy's question.

"I'm not here to scare you, and I didn't go and eat food or your oranges." Luffy tried to justify himself.

"Calm down Luffy, I know you haven't eaten anything…" with those words Luffy seemed to relax a little bit. "…because there's no food left."

"What!" Luffy exclaimed as if death had come upon him. "No Food?"

"You knew about it, you gave the order to go to port."

"Ah, that's right, I guess I forgot." Luffy finally was able to calm himself a little bit, his eyes felt on Nami, who was looking at him carefully, holding a sketchbook and a pencil.

"Still, Luffy is not bad that you are awake, it's just strange." Nami let go a little question in the air. She did not expect an answer coming from her captain, but she did wonder why he was awake. From all the crew members, only Zolo was able to beat Luffy in a nap time contest. Still, Luffy was a heavy sleeper and it was very rare to see him awake on a quiet night like this one.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm so bored that I could not even stay in bed."

Nami examined him and decide it was no threat to have him around for a while.

"Can I take a seat?"


End file.
